Approved!

Yay! Approved yesterday 30th March 2010, and plans put in the mail today back to the builder. Now to hit Allworth up for the info to give to the MB.

Will this happen anytime soon?

Good news is that the plans were received at Council on the 24th March and were entered into the computer on the 25th. The customer service officer apologized and wasn't sure why this information wasn't available when I called last week. But for some reason Council aren't allowing customer's to speak directly with their Assessor, so I had to explain that I wanted clarification around the next steps and when could I anticipate receiving approval. This message will passed on. Yesterday I waited until 4pm and called back saying the CA hadn't called me yet, to be told she isn't even in the office that day and would be back tomorrow, so fingers crossed.

I also spoke to the CM at Allworth. He said because all selections have been made that construction will be commenced immediately after approval is received, well other than all the arrangements that I need to make with my mortgager. But in true Sydney style it has started to rain today so goodness knows how that will affect the building schedule.

Still cranky that the lady next doors slab was laid on Friday as we wanted to go in at the same time as her.

Are the plans with Council?

Who knows as I rang too close to 5pm and the CA had already gone home for the day. But they are back in the office at 8.30am on Monday.

Will this house ever start being built?

Well, since last time I have received the revised plans with relocated water tank and larger bedroom windows that are almost ceiling to floor to match everywhere else in the house. But alas, no electrical layout. So merrily I contact the Kellyville office and make an appointment with the Colour Consultant and explain the lack of electrical layout. They say that they will contact the HO and have the electrical layout sent out during the week and that it is fine to come in that weekend and finalize colour selection.

But you guessed it -no electrical layout was sent out and being forgetful I failed to ring Kellyville on Friday and remind them to have a copy on hand for the weekend. Therefore, colour selection was completed without electrical layout. No major problem, the CC can have it emailed through on Monday.

Monday comes and goes, no plan. So after a quick call on Tuesday to HO to have a go at someone, it is promptly emailed through.

Also having sent back the plans with the amendments and receiving the revised plans  a call was made at about the same time as booking an appointment for colour selection, to see where the plans are at. The Mine Subsidence Council. WHAT? This didn't happen last time around as far as I was aware, but apparently it did which was why they took so long getting to Council in the first instance. But, not to stress the plans will be at Council by the end of this week.

So today is the end of this week. At about 11am I called and the Council Assessors are out of the office from 10am til 4pm doing... assessments. But what can they help me with? Are the new plans there I ask. Nothing is logged in the computer - perhaps by mistake they are on my CA's desk without being scanned in, but I have to wait until 4pm to find out. Right now, I have 5 minutes to go.

The carpet and tiles

Went back to Lockwood's and took pics of the carpet and tiles, along with the samples of paint, bathroom floor tile and cupboard, kitchen cupboards and benchtop and just poking in the side the outdoor colourbond samples, which show the windows and facsia, and sort of the brick colour.

The plans look right, finally

The plans came yesterday and other than increasing the size of the minor bedroom windows, looking good! Will try to add a picture.

If I could back out, I would.

Last week rang the SM and had a go at him realizing that it was now over one month since I went in to meet the SC and picked the new design and had since then had to go back in and ask for the issues in the tender and draft plans to be corrected.

OK he says, I get where you coming from. I'll chase you new plans up make sure that are with the SC on Friday - go ahead make an appointment to review and sign off because they will be there.

So I do, and being that Saturday was my birthday and I had lots of running around to do I am lucky and offered the 10am first appointment. Great! And off I go, I'm there a little ahead of time and the SC follows me in. We sit down, having usual informalities, and I ask "So just before we get into it, are the plans here?"

NO he says - he goes and checks the bottom office, the reception/admin area, goes through my files in case someone was trying to be helpful. Sorry, but they're not here he says - why did you think they would be?

I explain what happened with the SM, and the SC apologizes profusely saying he had Friday off and didn't know I was coming, because if he had he would've done the follow-up on Friday afternoon and cancelled the meeting.

Today therefore I will be blowing it up the SM and looking to lodge a formal complaint.